壬午

2002: the year of the Water Horse (壬午)

In Korean saju, 2002 is the year of 壬午 (Im-o). The top character, 壬, is yang Water, and the bottom character, 午, is the Horse. Together they make 2002 the year of the Water Horse. The saju year starts at Ipchun on February 4, 2002 at 09:24 Korea time and runs until February 4, 2003.

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2002 at a glance

Year pair: 壬午 · Im-o
Element: Water (yang)
Animal: Horse
Old poetic name: 楊柳木 · Willow wood
Saju year starts: February 4, 2002 09:24
Ends: February 4, 2003
Age in 2027: turns 25

Born in January or early February 2002?

The saju year changes at Ipchun, February 4, 2002 at 09:24 Korea time. If you were born before that moment, your year pair is 辛巳: you belong to 2001, the year of the Metal Snake.

Many zodiac sites switch the animal at Lunar New Year instead, which fell on February 12 in 2002, after Ipchun. So for birthdays from Ipchun until the day before February 12, saju already says Horse while those sites still say Snake.

The two characters of 壬午

壬Im · a wide river running far — water that never stops moving
午O · Horse · blazing heat in midsummer

The Water element of 2002

The top character decides the year’s element, so 2002 is a Water year. When Water energy is strong, it tends to feel like this: You feel wise, calm, and open to new ideas flowing in.

Color: Navy or black
Food: Black beans, seaweed, and fresh seafood
Direction: North
Activity: Taking a relaxing bath or journaling quietly

This is your birth-year element. In saju, your core element comes from your birth day instead (the day master), and it can be different. A free saju card shows yours.

Month pillars of the 2002 saju year

In saju, each month also has a pair, and it starts on a solar term, not on the 1st. These are the twelve months of 壬午 with their start dates (Korea date). Your birth month’s pair is one of your four pillars.

Month pair	Starts
壬寅Im-in	February 4
癸卯Gye-myo	March 6
甲辰Gap-jin	April 5
乙巳Eul-sa	May 6
丙午Byeong-o	June 6
丁未Jeong-mi	July 7
戊申Mu-sin	August 8
己酉Gi-yu	September 8
庚戌Gyeong-sul	October 8
辛亥Sin-hae	November 7
壬子Im-ja	December 7
癸丑Gye-chuk	January 6, 2003

The Horse in zodiac compatibility

By the branch tables, the Horse’s closest match is the Goat (six harmony). Its team of three adds the Tiger and Dog. Its opposite sign, the Rat, is a clash pair, read as different rhythms rather than bad luck.

The Horse in 2027

Same element. Same-element years tend to bring more company and more comparison, so allies and rivals both show up.

Ties with 丁未: Six harmony (六合)

2027 outlook for the Horse →

Other Horse years

The Horse comes back every 12 years, but the element on top changes each time:

The exact pair 壬午 returns every 60 years: 1942 and 2062.

Read 壬午 as a day pillar →

How to read this

Your birth year is one pillar out of four. Your birth month, day and hour usually say more about you than the year does. Use this page for facts and fun, then check the full chart.

Born in 2002? See your whole chart

Your year is one pillar. Add your birthday for a free saju card with all four, worked out on your device.

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Questions about 2002

What Chinese zodiac animal is 2002?

2002 is the year of the Horse, and more exactly the Water Horse (壬午). In saju the year runs from Ipchun on February 4, 2002 to February 4, 2003.

What element is 2002?

Water. The top character 壬 is yang Water, and that is the year’s element. The bottom character 午 adds Fire.

I was born in January 2002. What is my sign?

Before Ipchun (February 4, 2002, 09:24 Korea time) you belong to the year before: 辛巳, the Metal Snake of 2001. Check your exact time if you were born that day.

Is my birth-year element my saju element?

Not exactly. The year element describes your birth year. Saju reads your core self from your birth-day character (the day master), which needs your full birth date.